Category: Fundraisers

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Football Night Fundraiser scores big for hospice

Almost 200 people enjoyed a fantastic evening of funny stories, memories and fun in Dukinfield, which raised a massive £3,740 for the Hospice.   

Former professional footballers Peter Barnes, Tommy Booth and Trevor Ross engaged in a fascinating trip down football memory lane, sharing stories and anecdotes about their lives and funny events in the world of football in the last century.

They certainly kept the packed audience at the Masonic Hall entertained on Friday night (10th November).

Trevor, who was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, where the Hospice is based, said: “I’m so pleased to have been able to help Willow Wood Hospice and meet so many old friends in Tameside.”

Long-time supporters of the Hospice, Chris Smith and Brian Wild, who organised the event for the fourth year running, had aimed to raise £2,500 and, such was the demand, tickets had sold out weeks prior to the night.

“We’re astonished at the generosity of the crowds that attended,” said Brian, a former Trustee of the Hospice and Civic Mayor of Tameside.

“The audience had a great night and we sent them home happy – which is down to the kindness of the football legends Peter, Trevor and Tommy, who gave their time free of charge and really entertained us all.

“Master of ceremonies and former Premiership referee Roger Dilkes held the night together with professional skill, without a single yellow or red card issued – and VAR wasn’t used once!”

Chris commented: “Everyone involved gave their time as volunteers but I must single out Councillor Denise Ward, who singlehandedly produced pie and peas for 200 people, donating all the ingredients herself.

“That sort of volunteering and commitment is vital and wonderful in our determination to support our local hospice.

“Plans are already under way for the 2024 event but we have headaches already – how do you top this amazing result?”

Lisa Buckley, Community Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, hailed the success of the event.

She said: “We hope that everyone who attended had a great night and we are thrilled that a magnificent amount of money has been raised which will make a huge difference to patients in our local community who need our care.

“We are immensely grateful to Brian and Chris for organising the popular event once again, to Dukinfield Masonic Hall for hosting and to all of the volunteers who supported what was a fabulous night.”

Pictured: (left to right) Arsenal and Everton legend Trevor Ross, fundraiser Brian Wild and former Premiership referee Roger Dilkes.

By Adam Higgins

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Willow Wood Ball raises grand total for hospice

Hundreds of people attended the Willow Wood Grand Ball, which has raised thousands of pounds in vital funds for the Hospice.

The glittering charity event was held at The Village Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, where the Hospice is based.

After stepping off the red carpet with a complimentary drink, attendees enjoyed a three-course meal before dancing the night away. Live entertainment was also provided by swing band Schwing.

The Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Tafheen Sharif, was among the special guests lending their support.

A silent auction, auction and grand raffle with some fantastically donated prizes all helped boost funds on the evening. This included a glove signed by Ederson, which was kindly donated by Manchester City Football Club and raised £600 alone.

In total, Willow Wood is delighted to report that the Grand Ball has raised over £25,000, with more money still coming in.

Karen Houlston, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, said: “It was a fantastic night and has been a welcome and overdue event. It felt a special occasion to have the Willow Wood Ball back on the calendar.

“After everything that has gone on over the last few years with the pandemic, it was just so nice to see everyone back together and dancing and enjoying themselves.

“A big thank you as well to all of our sponsors, particularly our main event sponsor Gerard McDermott KC, but also the many others who have donated some wonderful raffle and auction prizes.”

Those prizes included everything from weekend breaks away to amazing hampers of food and drink, plus beauty products and many more.

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “It’s been fantastic and quite moving to see everyone arriving on the red carpet and the dance floor was full, so thank you to the wonderful band Schwing.

“I also have to say a huge thank you to the fundraising team and all the volunteers for helping to make the event happen and all of the local businesses too who have given us so much support, and our main sponsor Gerard McDermott KC.”

Sam added that it was a proud and emotional evening, saying: “It’s a unique privilege working at a hospice as you build connections with family and friends of people who we have cared for and those connections last a lifetime and those family and friends were with us at the ball. It was a very moving but rewarding event.”

Cllr Sharif, Tameside’s civic mayor who also represents the Mossley ward, said she wanted to support the Grand Ball because the hospice is so close to her heart.

She said: “I visited officially to meet the staff and volunteers recently and you are just so taken aback by how peaceful everything is and I wanted to give the ball my full support.”

By Adam Higgins 

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Hospice benefits from Glossop car show proceeds

Willow Wood Hospice has received a generous donation of £600 from the proceeds of this year’s classic car show in Glossop.

It’s organised every year by Glossop Vehicle Enthusiasts Club and is always a well-attended and great event.

This year, the hospice was chosen as one of three charities to benefit from the show in Manor Park on 20th August.

There were more cars, just under 300 in total, and stallholders than ever before.

Woody made a crowd pleasing outing, our Teddy Bear Lottery was busy throughout the day and the weather was kind!

Our Lottery Manager Diane Austin-Hughes and Head of Retail Pauline Lunt were also interviewed by Tameside Radio.

Lisa Buckley, Community Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, said: “We were delighted to be part of the day and also to have been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from the event.

“It was a great day, which was well organised, and we hope to be there again next year.”

The GVEC committee said: “A huge thank you to everyone that made the show possible and supported the event. We’re really proud to continue to host the largest Car Show in the High Peak area and we are already planning for next summer’s event.”

The date for next year’s show is 4th August 2024.

By Adam Higgins

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Crown green bowls match raises hospice funds

A club in Ashton-under-Lyne held a crown green bowls match to raise funds for Willow Wood Hospice.

Despite the soggy, wet and muddy bowling green, locals battled it out throughout the day on Sunday 8th October to scoop the cup prize.

It was won by Stephen Radcliffe, after he beat John McGhee in the final round.

The match was organised by Waterloo and Taunton Conservative Club, who raised a fantastic £320 for the hospice – which provides free, specialist palliative care for patients with life-limiting illnesses in Tameside and Glossop.

Lisa Buckley, Community Fundraiser at Willow Wood, said: “We are very grateful to the club for organising the crown green bowls match and choosing us to benefit from the brilliant amount that was raised. Thank you to everyone who took part and we hope everyone had a great day despite the difficult conditions.”

Leon Tamcken, Chairman of Waterloo and Taunton Conservative Club, said: “A huge thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser, which is now in its eighth year of being sponsored by Tameside Glass Ltd.

“I would also like to thank Rob Bailey, Manager at Howarth Timber, the UK timbers merchants in Ashton-under-Lyne, for their kind donation of wooden boards to get the crown green looking tip top for the event.”

By Adam Higgins 

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Hikers take on Great Ridge Walk for Willow Wood

A group of determined fundraisers laced up their boots to embark on a challenging walk in the Peak District and raise vital funds for Willow Wood Hospice.

Around 20 people took part in the Great Ridge Walk last Saturday (23 September) and have raised around £4,500 in total to support patient care.

The seven-mile walk, organised by the hospice based in Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, started from Castleton Visitors Centre in the morning and took in some stunning scenery along the way.

On what was a nice sunny day, the group took in Lose Hill and Back Tor along the great ridge to Mam Tor and came down with beautiful views of the Dark Peak, White Peak and Peveril Castle.

The hike, led by three experienced guides from Dark Peak Guides, finished at The Bulls Head pub in Castleton in the afternoon where walkers enjoyed some well-earned refreshments.

Team Willow Wood, including the hospice’s CEO Karen Houlston, raised over £1,000 alone.

Laura Marinelli, Events Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, who organised the walk, said: “There was a good team spirit amongst the group and everyone who took part enjoyed the experience. It was a tough challenge but everyone did very well.

“We are grateful to everybody who got involved and sponsored our walkers to raise an amazing amount to support patient care at our hospice.”

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “I was delighted to be one of our Team Willow Wood walkers. It was physically hard as most of the route was uphill and some of us picked up a few blisters but it was all worth it. The weather was kind to us and there was a lovely atmosphere as we were walking.

“We had a fantastic time in a beautiful part of the world and the money we’ve raised will be hugely beneficial to supporting patients at Willow Wood who need our care.”

By Adam Higgins

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Take a trip down football memory lane for Willow Wood

Chris Smith, Lisa Buckley and Brian Wild outside the hospice

An evening of funny stories, memories and fun with three former professional footballers will be held in Tameside in aid of Willow Wood Hospice.

It’s the fourth time the nostalgic event called ‘A trip down football memory lane’ is taking place, organised by Brian Wild and Chris Smith, who are long-time supporters of the hospice.

Brian, a former Civic Mayor of Tameside, was once a Trustee at Willow Wood and has even dressed up as Woody, the hospice’s mascot, on occasion.

The line-up for the nostalgic night is former Manchester City, Manchester United and England winger Peter Barnes, ex-Manchester City and Preston North End defender Tommy Booth, and former Everton and Arsenal midfielder Trevor Ross, who was born in Ashton-under-Lyne and now works in Oldham.

They will be in conversation with former top-flight referee Roger Dilkes, who will be the Master of Ceremonies for the night.

It’s on Friday 10 November at Dukinfield Masonic Hall, starting at 8pm.

Chris said: “We love doing it for Willow Wood, the hospice is so supportive and a great organisation. Everybody in the area has had their hearts touched by Willow Wood at some time.

“My wife passed away in Willow Wood and I’ve always had a longing desire to help fund it because hospices only get very limited funding from the NHS and have to find the rest of the money needed to keep going.

“We put this together, which usually raises between £1,500 and £2,000 each year, and everyone gets to have a good night. We would love to see you there.”

Brian added: “Willow Wood is a place we hope we never need but the hospice gives first-class care to everybody so I will always do what I can to support it.

“We love putting on the Football Night Fundraiser. We raise a lot of money on the raffle alone so, if there’s anyone who has any raffle prizes – however small – that they are willing to donate, we would gratefully accept them and happily pick them up from you.”

Lisa Buckley, Community Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “Without people like Brian and Chris organising these events, Willow Wood would not continue to operate so we cannot thank them enough.

“Unfortunately, this year we are facing a deficit of over £600,000 so when people step up to put on these events, they make a massive difference. If you’re a football fan, or just want a good night out, please get a ticket if you can and help support the hospice.”

Tickets cost £10 including pie and mushy peas – which are generously donated by a volunteer, Denton councillor Denise Ward.

To get your tickets, call 0161 308 2685 or email Chris at smithowls@gmail.com

By Adam Higgins

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Cousins brave skydive for Willow Wood

Hannah Whalley with her £600 cheque of money raised for Willow Wood Hospice

Two brave cousins have taken a huge leap by jumping out of a plane to raise a fantastic £600 for Willow Wood Hospice.

Hannah Whalley, 29, and her older cousin Rosie Lawton, 32, who both live in Stalybridge, completed the epic skydive from 14,000ft at Skydive North West in the Lake District.

They decided to take on the daring challenge after their grandad Michael Washer was cared for by the dedicated team at Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Michael was diagnosed with prostate cancer which became bone cancer and, after staying in the hospice for just over a week, he sadly passed away in June this year at the age of 77.

Hannah said: “I loved coming to the hospice to visit my grandad, I never wanted to leave. The nurses were amazing and really lovely, they also made sure me and my family were looked after as well as my grandad.

“I wanted to do something to support the hospice and something a bit different for me.

“I was scared beforehand because I’m terrified of heights and I don’t like flying but, once I was in my suit and boarding the plane, I was fine.

“It was a gorgeous day and we could see Blackpool and the Isle of Man from the sky.

“I would like to thank Lisa Buckley and the team at Willow Wood Hospice for all of their help with the skydive.

“Thank you to everyone who sponsored me and to my family for all of their support.”

Hannah was cheered on by her nine-year-old daughter Annie on the day.

“She was wearing a t-shirt to support me and shouted ‘love you’ which was just so lovely,” Hannah added.

Hannah enjoyed the experience so much that she is thinking of doing another skydive to support the hospice in the future.

By Adam Higgins

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Golf Day gives boost to hospice funds

Twenty teams enjoyed a tee-rific experience at this year’s Martin Wild Golf Day in support of their local hospice.

In total, the annual fundraiser at Ashton-under-Lyne Golf Club made £6,500 to help boost care for patients at Willow Wood Hospice.

The event on 19 August was kindly sponsored by Coolair Services, Marshall Peters and Dukinfield and Stalybridge Rotary.

The winning team was Walsh’s Angels, who stood out not only as this year’s champions but also for having the sole female player of the tournament.

Players were well looked after with plenty of refreshments and there was a team prize table for the teams finishing first to sixth.

Laura Marinelli, Events Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, said: “It was the fourth time that I have organised this event and it raised more money than last year for our hospice so I’m truly thrilled with the outcome.

“Thank you to all of the volunteers on the day, the players for taking part and our generous corporate sponsors who contributed to the prizes.”

The event is promoted by Martin Wild, a former Lancashire amateur golf champion and a long-time supporter of the hospice.

If you’re interested in taking part in the next Golf Day, look out for details about next year’s event in due course.

By Adam Higgins

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Skydiver Sylvia to brave 7,500ft plunge

A high-flying great grandmother who turns 80 this year is taking to the skies to leap from a plane for Willow Wood Hospice.

Sylvia Heatley is braving a 7,500ft skydive this summer in loving memory of her husband Barry, who was cared for at the hospice.

Sylvia explained: “I lost my husband Barry to throat cancer last October and Willow Wood were amazing.

“They provided palliative care and went above and beyond for him, so this is my way of giving back. They can’t ever do enough for you.

“Barry and I were married for 59 wonderful years, and shared many amazing memories.”

Barry was diagnosed in June last year and given just months to live. He fought against the odds but sadly passed in October 2022. He was 79 and would have celebrated his 80th birthday this month.

Sylvia, who lived in Gorton as a child, met Barry when they were almost 20 and they married when they were 21.

“We first met in the former Domino Club on Grey Mare Lane in Openshaw and he just said ‘you’re for me’ and that was it from there – we had been together ever since.”

The couple settled in Droylsden and Barry worked as a joiner by trade, with Sylvia working in customer services for JD Williams.

They moved to Mottram in their retirement just a couple of years ago. Sylvia said: “Barry fought many illnesses throughout his life, but this one was very sudden and unfortunately one he could not fight.”

The remarkable great grandmother, who has eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren – with another on the way – says she likes to give back and so this is her way of saying thank you to everyone at the hospice for their care.

She has no fear of heights, having already completed an abseil on behalf of the hospice previously.

“I do like to give back and in the past abseiled down the side of Ikea in Ashton and I’ve also taken part in ‘Walks 4 Life’, but this one is solely for the love of my life,” she says.

Sylvia will not be alone in her skydiving endeavour, with her two granddaughters Ashley Clifton and Karys Heatley also joining her.

Ashley, 34, from Ashton, said: “I’ve never done a skydive before, but it’s definitely on my bucket list to do. So when Nana said she was going to do one, I said I would have to do it with her and Karys said she would too.”

Both granddaughters joked that they were looking forward to ‘landing’ most of all, but Ashley added: “We’re looking forward to the adrenalin rush and doing something for such an important cause. We are doing something we want to do, but other people will benefit and get so much out of it.

“We couldn’t have got through the last three months of my grandad’s life without Willow Wood and nothing was too great an ask for my nana.”

Karys, 24, who lives in Oxfordshire, added: “It will be a sense of achievement, of giving back and saying thank you to Willow Wood.”

Both said: “Willow Wood provided amazing care to our grandad and we are looking to raise as much money as we can to help the Willow Wood team continue the amazing work they do.

“We miss him very much and would love to do our part to give back and support individuals and their families fighting cancer.”

Sylvia concluded: “We miss him every minute of every day and hope we are doing him proud.”

Sam Duncan, Willow Wood fundraising and communications director, said: “Sylvia is an inspiration to us all. What a legend! It costs £3.3m to run Willow Wood each year and we only receive 20 per cent government funding. The remaining 80 per cent comes from the generosity of our local community.

“It is because of the support of fundraisers like Sylvia, Ashley and Karys that we can continue to provide specialist palliative care to the people of Tameside and Glossop.”

The family trio will be braving the skydive this August bank holiday weekend on August 27 at noon, taking off from the Black Knights Skydiving centre near Lancaster.

They have set up three just giving pages and if you would like to donate, you can visit:

• Sylvia: https://www.just- giving.com/page/sylvia-heat- ley-1686074229771

• Karys: https://www.just- giving.com/page/karys-heat- ley-1686117703071

• Ashley: https://www.just- giving.com/page/ashley-bram- hall-1686074077798

From Tameside Reporter on Thursday 20 July 2023